I can't believe I posted...'Hey...anyone know any spots?' Where in the city are they not growing? I've almost smashed my car twice, driving 70K squinting as I passed by some bushes. Those two hot weeks have really paid off. I'll definitely remember this summer, I've spent the last two weeks swimming every day in North Van and then blackberry picking for five days straight in around the TransCanada trail in Norburn....it's right out of a Douglas Coupland book.....except much less interesting.
My blackberry picking tips....If you got some...let's hear 'em!1) If it's not coming off let it go....I just think this is the right thing to do. It's gonna taste super sour. Sometimes though I must admit I think...'someone else is gonna take it anyhow'.
2) Take the little guys too. If they are ripe they are just as good and sweet.
3) Bring a board: Operation Scorched Earth. I brought a ladder thinking it'd help me climb up to get some really good ones... wrong. Ladders don't stand up very well when they're on something uneven... TIMBER! So I just folded it up and dropped it right in there and stood on it flat, a narrow board would work the same. Some of the bushes are so thick you're pretty much crowd surfing on them. This allows you to pick in areas where no one has gone.
The downside is that you crush the bush pretty bad. I felt guilty about this at first, but then figured it's a blackberry bush..it's pretty much indestructible and you're kinda opening it up for other people. If you know the real answer whether or not this is a jerk move, I wanna hear it.
4) Don't wear your best t-shirt ever, or your favourite Uppercut shorts (RIP). If you do, to get stains out: boil water, stretch fabric out so it's tight, pour water over.
5) If you get snagged, you gotta come out the same way you came in...you always want to pull back....nope.
6) Slow hand gets the berry. You should see what happened to berry-rabid Sue Choy's hands.
7) Keep you keys in your pants pocket....hoodie pocket cannot be trusted.
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